August 21, Sunday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Isaiah 66:18-21; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13 & Gospel: Luke 13:22-30
"People will come and recline at tables in the kingdom of God."
"Lord, will only a few people be saved?" As Christians, we often hear or talk about "being saved." Do we also, like the person in this Gospel, ask whether we will "be saved"? What is "salvation" for us? How we understand that will determine our actions, motivations, intent, etc., in how we live our life and faith.
Salvation is a gift from our God, who desires to include all humankind, despite our weaknesses and sinfulness.
This salvation will depend on our encounter with Christ. He tells us to "strive to enter through the narrow gate." He wants us to desire to live a life centered on and rooted in him. How do we want to live our lives?
"I do not know where you are from." Jesus is warning us of our false sense of entitlement. Like the Jews, we can feel too comfortable, take it for granted, and assume that God will save us. However, the Lord reminds us that we must also do our part to avoid evildoing and to strive for the gate of the Kingdom.
"People will come... and recline at tables in the kingdom of God." Once again, Jesus is assuring us of His promise. As a loving and forgiving God, he gives us many more chances than we deserve. Despite our weaknesses and sinfulness, he continues to love us and invites us to "come." What matters most to Jesus is that we genuinely listen to him, shape our lives according to his values, and learn to love.
"For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." Once again, Jesus concludes by reminding us of heavenly values. The gate of the kingdom is awaiting our opening.
But how do we know that it is open? It does not depend on our title or position in this world. It makes no difference how long we spend inside the chapel. It is simply from how we open our hearts to Jesus, to love Him and His people with our humble and loving hearts.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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